Target-optical-projection practice gun



I. E. COHN Aug. 15, 1939.

TARGET-OPTIGAL-PROJECTION PRACTICE GUN Filed Jan. 25, 1938 BY Jl u v ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 15, 1939 PATEN ,FFlCE TARGET- OPTICAL-PROJECTION PRACTICE GUN Irwin E. Cohn,

New York, N. Y.

Application January 25, 1938, .Serial No. 186,764

4Claims. 01. 273-4012) member and barrel,,a nut 9 being threaded on The object of the present invention is to provide a target projection gun of that type in which sighting of the gun will effect a relative movement between a puncturing element and a film or other transparent member bearing a target or other the gun, so that the perforation immediately will be shown by the image of the target projected in enlarged form through the instrumentality of an electric bulb and lens.

The specific object of the invention is to provide a device of such character which will be eificient and durable and, at the same time, very inexpensive and capable of rapid production in large quantities, for sale as a; toy.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation showing an embodiment of the invention, partly broken away, to better illustrate operative elements.

Figure 2 is a View of the central portion of the gun shown in the preceding figure, in enlarged form, and the target puncturing element.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line ll-4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the gun in side elevation and a target image projected therefrom.

Referring to the drawing, 1 have shown at I a gun stock and at 2 a sheet or connected sheets of metal bent intotrough formation with the forward end closed by a bent section of the sheet or connected sheets, the wall of the latter section and the walls of the open end of the trough being inwardly flanged, thus forming an open-sided box member 3, the flanges being indicated at 3:0. Into the open end of the said box-like member is fitted the forward end of the gun stock and the two secured together by a headed stud 4 which, when the parts are assembled, may be swaged over at its end as shown at 5. The forward closing wall of box-like member 2 may be apertured to receive a barrel member 6 which, in practice, will be formed 5010f a sheet of material bent into tubular form.

To hold the tube in place an inexpensive and convenient expedient is the use of a threaded stud 1 passing through the top of the box member 3, thence through barrel 6.

A spacer 8 will abut the inner wall of the box the stud to hold the member in position. By this simple expedient, the necessity for spot welding or soldering will be rendered unnecessary.

Pivoted on the bottom wall of the box-like member is a bracket arm ID to which is pivotally connected at Hm the sighting handle II. This handle carries a target frame member l2 which is projected upwardly through aligned apertures formed in the top and bottom Walls of the box member 3, The frame member may be of any suitable form so as to receive a transparent target member l3, thereby held in register with the barrel 6 and with an illumination means hereinafter described.

At its top, the target frame member is formed with an extension lZx formed with a sighting aperture for co-action with a sight 14 carried by the barrel. The target frame member is guided in its movements by a bracket plate 15 at one side thereof, the plate being formed with ears l5:r bent over upon the opposite side of the target frame. The target frame is vertically guided by the opposed surfaces of the bracket and at the same time, may have a limited lateral movement.

At the base of bracket l5 the latter is formed with spaced ears l6 between which is pivoted by pin H a target puncturing arm l8 having a puncturing point 82.. The puncturing arm normally rests upon the laterally bent extension I91: of a spring plunger rod l9, said extension projecting outwardly through an opening at 20 in a wall of the box-like member.

r The plunger rod is guided by the walls in apertures formed in downwardly bent bracket arms Zia: comprising the sections partially out from a bracket support 2| within the casing and adapt-, ed to receive and support dry cell batteries 22. One of the batteries will be in direct contact with an electric lamp 23 which is threaded in an insulating plate 24 carried by member 2|. Insulating plate 24 will carry a metal switch element 25 normally held out of contact with the metallic box member 3. However, slidably movable in a horizontal slot formed in box member 3 is a switch button 26 which may be moved into and out of engagement with switch arm 25, and when it is moved into engagement with switch arm 25, a circuit will be closed through switch button 26, through the box-like member and from a contact plate 2'! at the rear of the batteries, thence through the batteries and the electric lamp.

Returning to plunger rod I9, it will be noted that it is encircled by a coil spring ZBwhich abuts a pin 29 carried by the rod and an intermediate one of the three bracket arms 2 Ix.

The plunger rod is notched at 30 so that the shoulder of the notch may be engaged by the latch end 3hr: of a trigger member 3| pivoted at 32 and engaged by a spring 33 in such manner that latch end 3|:c of the trigger member has a constant tendency to move upwardly, being restrained by contact with the rear section of the plunger rod. However, when the rod extension I9a: (Figure 3) is engaged by the fingers and the rod moved rearwardly against the tension of spring 28 the latch extension of the trigger will be caused to enter the notch and engage its shoulder so as to retain the plunger rod for action. When the trigger is pressed the plunger will be released and spring 28 will cause it to strike puncturing arm l8 causing puncturing point I82: to penetrate the film.

In the past, with devices of the present kind, the tendency of the puncturing point to stick in the punctured film has required the use of retraction springs on the puncturing arms or some other means to positively withdraw the puncturing member from the film. When a spring is used on the puncturing arm a greater striking force must be applied to the puncturing arm than without such a spring. With my device, however, the plunger rod has a rapid striking movement which merely imparts an impulse to the puncturing arm and does not positively move it to puncturing position, as will be seen by reference to Figure 2, from which it will be noted that at the end of its operative movement, after the striking impulse imparted to the puncturing arm has been dissipated, the arm will lie downwardly a substantial distance away from the target area of the film. Thus the impulse imparted to arm I 8 is against the gravitational action upon. said arm, and just sufficient force is given the latter to cause the puncturing and efiect a rebound, aided by gravitation, which will return the arm to its position shown in Figure 2.

The walls of the box-like member may, at desired points adjacent to but slightly spaced from the flanges 33:, be indented to form abutments, not shown, for a slide cover 34, this cover sliding in between the flanges and said abutments, as will be understood without further explanation.

In the use of the device, the gun is held on the shoulder in the usual sighting position, the right hand being disposed at the trigger section of the gun and the left hand grasping the sighting handle II. The gun may thenbe related to the object through the use of the barrel sight M, the sighting aperture I21: and further rear sight 35. Handle l I is so mounted that it can be swung horizontally with its bracket l0 which is connected to the box member 3 by a vertical pivot permitting such horizontal movement. Handle I I may also be moved vertically on pivot Hr. In this manner, the sighting frame may be moved up and down and also swung laterally from side to side, so that all of the required adjustment of the frame member in sighting is effected. Plunger arm extension I91: having been seized by the fingers and the rod moved backward a predetermined distance, the trigger latch will engage and hold the rod against the tension of its spring. The gun thus being sighted (and the switch button 26 placed in proper position), pull of the trigger will cause puncturing of the film in accordance with the accuracy of the sighting of the gun relatively to the image, such as a target T, Figure 5, and the degree of accuracy will be noted by the alteration in the projected image caused by the puncturing of the film.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A target optical projecting practice gun comprising a barrel, means adjacent the rear end of the barrel for supporting a transparent mem ber bearing a target image, means for projecting a beam of light relatively to said transparent member supporting means, a box-like member supporting the barrel, a gun stock carrying the box-like member, a target, a target puncturing arm pivotally carried adjacent the target image supporting means and gravitationally held in inactive position, a plunger rod adapted to strike the target puncturing arm, the plunger rod being slidably movable in the box-like member, a latch adapted to engage the plunger rod on a predetermined movement of the latter, a spring acting in opposition to the rod in said predetermined movement thereof, a trigger connected to the latch, and means restraining action of the plunger rod on the target puncturing arm to substantially less than the active movement of said arm.

2. A target optical projecting practice gun comprising a barrel and a stock, a box-like casing connecting the barrel and stock, and means in said casing for supporting a transparent member bearing a target image and comprising an arm projected through the lower wall of the boxlike member and carried by the handle, the upper end of the arm projecting through the top wall of the box-like member and carrying an eye-sight, a vertical bracket carried by the boxlike member adjacent the arm, a target puncturing member comprising an arm pivoted to said bracket, a plunger arm upon the end of which the puncturing arm is adapted to gravitationally rest, the end of the rod projecting through an opening in the side wall of the boxllke member and serving as a finger piece, a spring acting in opposition to the movement of the arm against the tension of said spring, a latch within the box-like member and adapted to engage said rod and a trigger connected to said latch.

3. A target optical projecting practice gun comprising a barrel, a stock and a box-like member connecting the barrel and stock, means within the barrel for supporting a transparent member bearing a target image, a handle pivoted on the exterior of the box-like member at the base thereof and movable in transverse planes, said handle being operatively connected to the transparent member supporting means, a target puncturing arm pivoted for gravitational movement adjacent the transparent member supporting means, a plunger rod having one end thereof angularly bent and extending through an aperture in said box-like member to provide a finger piece and its opposite end affording a rest for the target puncturing arm, a spring adapted to be placed under tension by movement of said arm through pressure on said finger piece, a latch, a trigger for operating the latch, thereby causing the last named end of the plunger rod to strike the target puncturing arm, a dry cell battery in said box-like member, an electric lamp and a switch member for closing and opening an electric circuit through the battery and lamp.

4. A target optical projecting practice gun comprising a barrel, a stock, a box-like member connecting the barrel and stock and having an open side relatively to the stock, the walls 0f the box-like member adjacent said opening being inwardly flanged, means in said box-like member for supporting a transparent image carrying element, a handle carried by the box-like member for imparting movement to said transparent member, a target puncturing armewithin the boxlike member and means for actuating the same, means within the box-like member for projecting a beam of light through said transparent member and the barrel and a wall member for said open side of the box-like member comprising a slide plate adapted for movement between the flanges of the box-like member and formed at one end with an outwardly flared thumb piece.

IRWIN E. COI-IN." 

